Flowers, Fishing, and Independence

Happy June!

I got to hang out in a new place with the gang and my parnter yesterday: a beautiful place full of flowers, a place with access to a mountain stream that ultimately cascades into a reservoir, and a place I had absolutely nothing to do with discovering.

A few days back, while headed out to fish at a reservoir we've been to dozens of times, my partner suggested that the 11, 9, and 7 year old gang of kids should take our two dogs on a hike back into the forest above the lake. The gang heartily agreed. We dropped them off at the inlet to the lake with the understanding they'd explore upstream before meeting me back at the spot in an hour and a half. I dropped my partner off in a meadow next to the stream that flows away from the lake. I went to fish on the lake (and I didn't catch a thing.) An hour and a half later, I went to pick up the gang. Then, lots of things happened:

As I pulled down the road to travel the two miles to the inlet of the lake, I ran into the gang only a few hundred yards from where I was fishing at the dam. They'd done their explore and then hiked back towards me.
They saw a car coming, and two of them got the dogs off road just like they're supposed to.
The thrid kid appeared at the other side of the car out of nowhere.
They were elated and effusive about their hike.
They were in an awesome mood for the rest of the day.
So were the dogs.
They suggested a new spot to fish, hang out, or camp.

The spot is where I got to hangout yesterday. It's a great spot!

Kids being independent is a wonderful thing for everyone!

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